Normally I don’t watch “Christian” movies. Mostly because they tend to be very cheese and poorly made – which is kind of sad.

However, over the past few months I have watched two films that have changed my view of “Christian” movies. The first one was “Fireproof” – which did a great job at highlighting the struggles in a marriage and the need for Christ’s unconditional love.

The second film is “Faith Like Potatoes”.

It is a movie based upon the real life story of Angus Buchan, a Zambian farmer. The film opens for an angry Angus forced to flee Zambia due to the unrest in the area. He resettles his family in South Africa only to fall into depression, anger and fear. [@more@]

Finally at the end of his rope and the prodding of his wife, Augus attends a church function where he is broken on the altar. The corn fields become his “green cathedral” as he seeks God from the seat of a tractor or the saddle of his horse. Life doesn’t automatically get “better” for Angus – but he does have Jesus to walk beside him.

Don’t let the South African setting fool you – it is a movie about all of us – especially those living in farming and/or ranching communities.

If possible, watch “Faith Like Potatoes” – better yet, gather a bunch of your friends together and watch it. Only, make sure you turn on the close captioning feature as the actors’ South African accents are a bit tough to understand.

If you haven’t seen the Dark Knight – I would recommend renting it.

Why?

The film does an amazing job at highlighting the different angles and choices behind real life ethical situations. When faced with a choice, do we lower our morals for the “greater good”? Or do we stay firm and possible bring harm to others?

Without giving away too much, the Joker (whom Heath Ledger portrayed beautifully – if I can use that word to describe the Joker…) is a complicated character who cares less about his safety and more about turning “good” into “bad”. He wants Batman to kill him – to turn from the morals that guide him and cross over to the darkness of evil.

Is that not what the evil one is doing to us every day? What path would we choose?[@more@]

About the same time that I saw the Dark Knight, I watched the Kingdom of Heaven with Orlando Bloom. Half way through the movie the main character had a choice to do something small, but unethical, that would give him wealth and power. Or he could refuse and remain ethical – but in doing so would cause a war between nations that would kill hundreds of innocent lives.

What do you do? Do you, as one of the characters said, do a “little evil for the sake of a greater good”?

The Dark Knight takes this theme and expands it beyond anything the Kingdom of Heaven could have imagined.

Rent it and watch it with an eye towards your own life – the situation may not be as “glamour” or as “brutal”, but the choices are there. Which path are you going to choose?

 

---

Just for the fun of it – here are some cool quotes from the flick to spice up your appetite

 

• "You've changed things… forever. There's no going back. See, to them, you're just a freak… like me!" –The Joker

• "Starting tonight, people will die. I'm a man of my word." –The Joker

• "Whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger" –The Joker

• "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." –Harvey Dent

• "You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness, and I won't kill you, because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever." –The Joker

• “Some men aren't looking for anything logical. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn." –Alfred

Vampires, Zombies, and Will Smith – what could be better?

Ever since the first trailers hit the big screen, I have wanted to see I Am Legend. However, life forbid me the opportunity to indulge in the colored pixels.

Enter NetFlicks (insert Long Ranger sound track here)

All and all, the movie was really good. I was expecting it to be more of a thriller – shoot, I even had my blanket ready to cover my eyes!

The best part of the movie was watching how the vampire/zombies began to learn and adapt to their virus. At the same time Will Smith’s character, Robert Neville, was going mental due to the lack of human interaction and the loss of his dog.

(For those who don’t know the premise – Neville is the last human alive in New York City and possibility the whole world. Everyone else was infected with a virus that turned them into vampire/zombies.)

The sad part was the ending.

Not for “normal” reasons. It just didn’t fit…[@more@]

I mean – the point of the whole thing was to show that society changes and we must change with it. Neville spend his life trying to turn back the clock and re-create society as he knew it.

Yet, at the end – at least in the book – he realizes that the vampires have created their own society and are now happy. He, by capturing them and performing medical tests, had become a “legend” among the vampires.

It is this lesson that causes Neville to say “I am legend”.

However, the movie did not end that way… that is why I’m sad.

American audiences could not handle it – the director originally ended the movie like the book, but took it out after a few test screenings.  Sigh.

The good news is that you can watch the originally ending online.

I watched Mamma Mia! last night with the fam. It was very good!!

Yelp – I quite enjoyed this chick flick. =)

The songs were good – well, the one's that Pierce Brosnan DIDN'T sing!

If you have some time, grab a friend and watch Mamma Mia! It's worth it. 

Have fun.

The problem with living with two ladies is the romantic movies or “chick flicks” they watch. The great depression has hit the Ardell Household.  

This weekend we had a High School Musical Marathon – luckily without the bouncing sing-a-long ball. Of course, this didn’t really stop the sign-a-long, it just stopped the subtitles.

---

High School Musical: A Review

Ok. I will confess. I did enjoy watching this flick. Yelp – it is one of the best comedies out there!

What do you mean it’s not a comedy? Have you SEEN it?  It’s a comedy.

Well…sure there was this couple who got together…but man, it was funny. =)  Oh – and the songs were pretty cool as well.  I especially liked the basketball song (“Keep your head in the game” – or something like that).  [@more@]

---

High School Musical 2: A Second Review

Being a marathon, we had to watch the sequel. Unfortunately, this movie wasn’t as good as the first (very few sequels are).  

Personally, I did not like the fact that the whole movie was based upon the break up of Troy and Gabriella.   It’s like – dude, we just watched them get together! Why do we want to watch them break up?!  Sigh.

The kitchen scene was pretty cool, though.  Oh – and the baseball song. That one rocked!!

Adding to the excitement of Iron Man and the Marvel Universe, it has recently been discovered that Captain America's shield has been seen on Tony Stark's workbench!!

Look at the bottom left-hand side of the image…

I wonder what other "Easter eggs" are in Iron Man?

We just finished watching "Blood Diamond"….  For years I have avoided it because I knew it dealt with painful injustice in Africa. That's the thing, you can watch the film as a work of fiction – and walk away just as you came.  

Or you can watch it as it was meant to be watched – as real life. These things happen – are happening – in Africa today as I type. It's a hard bullet to bite….  In a land that has seen peace for 100 years, war and all it's horrors are hard to picture.  There's a huge disconnect.

I liked what the reporter gal in the film said when asked why she keeps going into conflict areas – "Maybe I give a shit".  That's the ticket – once you looked injustice in the face and saw the tears of the Lord, you give a shit. You can't turn back. No matter how tough, how painful or how crazy it may seem – you have to keep moving. Keep caring – keep praying.[@more@]

It seems odd to write these words on a labtop in a nice house in Idaho. Yet I believe they are true. I may have never seen the kind of war or injustice as pictured in Blood Diamond – but I have seen the gulit, the pain, the trauma and the bondage of sin.

We live in a war. All of us. There are no supply officers – we are all on the front lines. We MUST fight.

Yes – there are days when I want to give in and forget the dreams, the passions and the work that God has given me. I look across the fence and wonder if it would be easier to not be a Christian. 

Yet, I must continue. Jermiah once said, "There's a fire in my bones! I must keep speaking the words of the Lord."  (my paraphrase)   I've seem too much. Felt too much – been too close. No mater what I must keep preaching the Kingdom of God. It is the ONLY hope in this world.

It is the hope that will bring peace, love, joy, forgiveness, and life. Yes – it may be head. Nay – it WILL be hard. The evil one does not like us – but the Kingdom as come and is coming. We must care on. He is by our side – let us march forth to the battle – crying as one:

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty. Who was and is and is to come 

I couldn't help it.. I HAD to post this comic…. it was too funny to pass up..

If you need a backgound, check out Vexxarr on a local computer screen near you. Preferable the same screen you're viewing this at… but, not necessarily. If your neighbor has a screen next to you, use their. Share the wealth.